A random orbital sander is a power tool with a round pad that moves in a random circular motion. If you’re working on a project that requires excellent finishing, a random orbital sander is a must-have tool for your kit.
The spinning disc on a random orbital sander creates ultra-smooth surfaces on various materials like wood and metal, making it effective for sanding projects. When selecting one of these sanders, it’s important to consider the brand and features that make them stand out, ensuring excellent performance.
Our Top Random Orbital Sander Picks
With many competing brands and multiple designs, it’s easy to feel stuck when shopping for random orbital sanders. You want to look at features that make each product unique. Here’s a rundown of top sanders and the categories in which they excel:
Best Overall: Mirka DEROS Electric Random Orbital Sander
The combination of compact design and balanced features make Mirka DEROS the best overall random orbital sander. It’s comfortable and easy to use due to its compact and lightweight design, which offers excellent grip. This option is best suited for professional use and long sanding sessions.
The tool’s unbeatable performance is due to features that contribute to efficiency and balance, such as:
- DC brushless motor
- Top-mounted switch
- Variable speed control
- Low vibrations
- Efficient dust collection
To help you make your purchase decision, Mirka backs up its power tools with a two-year warranty that covers defects and workmanship issues. They also offer an additional one-year warranty if you register the tool within 30 days of purchase, making it one of the many reasons to buy Mirka sanders.
Best Cordless: DEWALT 20V MAX Random Orbit Sander
The DEWALT 20V MAX cordless sander offers the flexibility of a portable tool. It has variable speed control of up to 12000 OPM, a low profile height for precise sanding, and a brushless motor powered by a 20-volt lithium-ion battery, ensuring adequate performance.
The low and compact profile makes this sander easy to use, creating minimal vibrations and a comfortable grip. This sander is best suited for DIY use and light professional applications. While the DEWALT 20V MAX is a convenient tool, it may not be ideal if you want more power or long sanding sessions.
Best Value: BLACK+DECKER Random Orbit Sander
The BLACK+DECKER random orbit sander is a corded power tool with a 2.0-amp motor that delivers up to 12000 OPM. Its simple and compact design makes it easy to handle, even in hard-to-reach areas. This sander tends to be best suited for light-duty and DIY projects.
While lacking speed variation and great ergonomics due to missing handles, this BLACK+DECKER is the best value sander, providing reasonable features for its price range.
Best for Dust Collection:Â Mirka PROS Pneumatic Random Orbital Sander
The Mirka PROS is a high-performance power tool with orbit diameters ranging from 2.5mm to 8mm for efficient and high-speed sanding. As a pneumatic sander, it operates on compressed air, providing a powerful and vibration-free session for professional heavy-duty performance.
The Mirka PROS is specially designed for exceptional dust collection and has outstanding features such as a quick-connect dust extraction hose, great ergonomics and a unique shroud system. These characteristics make it ideal for finishing operations that require larger orbits.
Best High-Speed Option: SKIL 5″ Random Orbital Sander
The SKIL 5″ random orbital sander features a powerful 2.8-amp motor with variable speeds of up to 13000 OPM, making it one of the fastest options on the market and ideal for big projects and woodworking hobbyists. Its ergonomic design makes it comfortable to handle and is enhanced by a soft-grip handle for maximum ease and reduced vibrations. While speed and power highlight the tool’s capability, its main downside is the dust box system, which is less effective than dust bags.
Best Compact Option: Mirka DEROS 3″ Random Orbital Sander
The 3″ Mirka DEROS is a compact power tool and the smallest of its kind on the market. It’s specially designed for small sanding projects with detailed finishing and features a 3-inch pad that runs on direct electricity. As a smaller version of the popular Mirka DEROS, it has similar features such as speed adjustment, a brushless motor, a comfortable grip and low vibration values. It’s great for small repairs, detailed work and hard-to-reach areas.
Random Orbital Sander Comparison Table
| Mirka DEROS |
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| DEWALT 20V MAX |
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| BLACK+DECKER |
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| Mirka PROS |
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| SKIL 5″ |
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| Mirka DEROS 3″ |
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Factors to Consider When Choosing a Random Orbital Sander
Random orbital sanders are not all made the same, as they have varying features that impact performance. Get the best value sander by considering the following:
- Power source: There are three power option designs — corded, pneumatic and cordless. Corded sanders use electricity, pneumatic sanders use compressed air and cordless sanders use batteries.
- Motor and speed options: Random orbital sanders have varying motor power, measured in amps and volts for electric and cordless models. The higher the motor power, the faster and more efficient the tool. Sanders also allows orbiting speed adjustments. Select one with various speed options for better efficiency.
- Dust collection efficiency: Dust collection is crucial to your health and offers a clean workspace. Look for dust collection features like holes on the pad and dust port to connect to a dust bag or a vacuum.
- Ergonomics and weight: Consider the tool’s overall weight and handling to ensure comfort and good grip when sanding. Sanders are either low profile, which you can use with one hand, or tall profile, which require both hands.
- Pad size and orbit diameter: Random orbital sanders have varying pad sizes and orbit diameters. The larger the diameter, the more aggressive the sanding. Pad sizes also impact the type of project you can use the tool for. Larger pads are suitable for heavy-duty tasks, while smaller ones are best for lighter tasks.
- Price and warranty: Prices vary from one brand to another. When purchasing, consider the availability, cost of replacement parts and manufacturer’s warranty terms.
- Project scope: When buying a random orbital sander, consider the scope of your project, as it will help you decide on power and speed levels. Knowing whether the tool is powerful enough to handle the job makes it easy to decide on other features like ergonomics, dust collection and portability, depending on their priority level.
Find the Best Random Orbital Sanders at National Abrasives, Inc.
Selecting a reliable random orbital sander can be the difference between a smooth, professional finish and less-than-ideal work. Depending on your needs, you’ll find several top power tools that excel in their categories. Occasionally, you come across the perfect tool, offering the right balance and exceptional qualities like the Mirka DEROS.
If you’re looking for top-quality random orbital sanders from Mirka and other brands, look no further than National Abrasives, Inc. We’re a leading supplier of abrasive products and accessories from major brands in the industry. Working with us guarantees a large inventory of hard-to-find products, unmatched customer service and free shipping on bulk orders. Browse our sander selection or contact us to learn more!
